WIEF-SEACO Foundation Roundtable 2019, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Fazal Bahardeen
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
CrescentRating and HalalTrip
Singapore

Fazal Bahardeen is an entrepreneur and founder of CrescentRating in Singapore, which is the world’s first rating system for travel and tourism services. It has become the globally recognised independent standard for Muslim travel market and has grown to key markets across Middle East, South Asia, Western Europe and rest of Asia.  Fazal launched HalalTrip, a trip advising platform for Muslim travellers in 2014.  

In his corporate career as a Telecom executive, he held senior positions in Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore.  He also served as a board member of Alcatel-Fujitsu JV for 3G technology. Fazal was listed among the 20 ‘Life Power List 2016’ of Singapore’s Straits Times and recognised as one the ‘Top 50 Leaders of the Islamic Economy’ by Islamica 500 for three consecutive years (2015-2017). 

Fazal holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications and master’s degree in Computer Applications from Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications and an international master’s degree in Management from Management School of Lyon.  Fazal also completed the Executive Programme from Stanford University and National University of Singapore, Strategic Leadership Development Programme from Ashridge Management School and International Management in Telecoms Industry from London Business School.  He also holds a Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance from International Islamic University of Malaysia.  He was a speaker at more than 50 international conferences. 

Dr. Bàrbara Ruiz-Bejarano
Director of International Relations
The Halal Institute
Spain 

Dr. Bàrbara Ruiz-Bejarano is honorary Professor at the UNESCO-University of Alicante Chair ‘Islam, Culture and Society’ and the Director of International Relations of the Halal Institute which is a Halal Certification Body based in Spain and Mexico.  

She works mainly in global Islamic economy and halal markets, and occasionally delivers lectures or takes part in projects related to topics including Muslim minorities in Europe, Islamophobia, female and youth empowerment or regional cooperation. She formerly worked in several European programmes for research, development, cooperation and education. 

Her expertise includes policy making and regulatory affairs, and cooperation. She has presented lectures at numerous international events and published over 20 papers throughout her career. 

She holds a PhD in Islamic Studies and her main research is focused on Muslim communities in non-Islamic societies. 

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Khalid Howladar
Managing Director and Founder, Acreditus
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Khalid Howladar is the Managing Director and Founder of Acreditus, a boutique advisory practice created to serve the risk, rating and Islamic finance needs of the Gulf and Islamic credit markets. With his global perspectives, he is an authority in his field and has addressed investors worldwide as well as audiences at the World Bank, IMF, ECB and IIF.  He is also the Chief Strategy Officer of Blossom Finance, an innovative blockchain sukuk platform for social impact investing. 

Previously, Khalid spent fifteen years at Moody’s Investor’s Service London and Dubai as both Global Head – Islamic Finance, Head of the GCC banking team and a senior member of GCC sovereign committees.  This was after senior roles covering securitisation and structured credit markets in Europe.   

Khalid also spent four years at Credit Suisse in the Emerging Markets Fixed Income Risk team. He is a keen UAE educational supporter and has lectured students in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in risk, ratings, banking and Islamic finance.  

He holds an MSc in Finance from London Business School, an MSc in Advanced Information Technology and a BEng in Software Engineering both from the Imperial College of Science and Technology and Medicine in London. 

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Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker
General Manager
Islamic Banking Cell
Research Department of Bangladesh Bank
Bangladesh

Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker is the General Manager of Research Department at Bangladesh Bank. He was Director General of Dhaka regional office of IIBI in London and served as Principal of Al-Baraka Bank Training Institute in Dhaka. He was instrumental in developing Bangladesh Government Islamic Investment Bond (BGIIB) in 2004 and Guidelines for Islamic Banking in 2009. Md. Abdul Awwal has lectured at different private universities in Bangladesh on various economics and finance courses. He has produced around 35 research papers published in international and local journals. His current areas of interest include Islamic finance and banking, regulation of Islamic banks, and sukuk.

Md. Abdul Awwal was attached with IRTI and AAOIFI as visiting research scholar in 2015 and 2018 respectively. He has a master’s degree in economics from Rajshahi University in Bangladesh, a master’s degree in international banking and finance from Loughborough University in the UK and a postgraduate diploma in Islamic banking and insurance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance in the UK.

Meor Amri bin Meor Ayob
Chief Executive Officer
Bond Pricing Agency Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Malaysia

Meor Amri bin Meor Ayob is the Chief Executive Officer of Bond Pricing Agency Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.  He has also been appointed as a Panel Member of Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) an international and independent quality assurance and accreditation body supported by Malaysia’s Central Bank and Securities Commission.  As a Panel Member, he provides input on the various learning initiatives within the finance services industry.  

Meor Amri was recently appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer by Universiti Teknologi Petronas. He has written a number of articles for various journals on credit and valuation issues. As an expert, he has been engaged by many institutions including regulators to conduct lectures and training.  Prior to his current position, he was the Head of Financial Institutions Ratings division at the Rating Agency Malaysia and was also a central banker with Bank Negara Malaysia. 

He holds an MBA specialising in Finance from the International Islamic University, Malaysia, and a BSc in Actuarial Science from the University of Kent in Canterbury, United Kingdom. 

Prof. Dr. Irwandi Jaswir
King Faisal International Prize 2018 Laureate and Advisor, Indonesia Halal lifestyle Center, Indonesia

Prof. Dr. Irwandi Jaswir has been known as a ‘Halal Scientist’ and is well known for his research studies on the scientific halal-related issues covering the services, food and consumer goods sectors.  He believes “Halal Science” will not only be the key element to protect the Muslims from modern consumer products which are very prone to non-halal contamination, but also an important component to build the halal industry that can contribute to the economy of Muslim Ummah. 

He has published more than 170 scientific papers in reputable international journals, contributed to 35 book-chapters and presented more than 250 research papers in international conferences. His dedication to research has enabled him to file five patents under his name and he has been awarded more than 60 scientific awards including King Faisal International Prize 2018. 

Prof. Dr. Irwandi obtained his bachelor’s degree in Food Technology and Human Nutrition, from Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia and Master’s degree as well as PhD from Universiti Putra Malaysia.  He had the opportunity to do a twinning programme at the Department of Food, Nutrition and Health at the University of British Columbia and performed his Postdoctorate at the National Food Research Institute in Tsukuba, Japan. 

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Tun Musa Hitam
Chairman, WIEF Foundation, Malaysia

Tun Musa Hitam, who is currently Chairman of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation was Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister until 1986. In the course of his service in the Malaysian government, he held various positions including Minister of Home Affairs, Education, Primary Industries, Trade and Industries and Chairman of the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA). Among his major official activities were as Leader of Malaysian Investment Missions to Europe, USA and Japan and representing Malaysia at UN ECOSOC related negotiating and regular conferences.

Since Tun Musa’s retirement from politics in 1987, he held Chairmanships of 3 Public Listed Companies and various business related institutions both at domestic and international levels. He was Chairman of the Malaysia – China Business Council, Co-Chair of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Asean – China, 15 year economic cooperation program and Chairman of the EPG to draft the Asean Charter. Currently, Tun Musa is Chairman of the Sime Darby Foundation, Chairman of the International Advisory Panel of CIMB Bank, Chairman of the International Selection Panel of the Royal Award on Islamic Finance and member of the Advisory Panel of the Iskandar Development Authority.

Tun Musa holds a BA (University of Malaya) and MA (University of Sussex) and held a resident Fellowship at Harvard University. For his services to the nation, The Yang Di Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia conferred him Malaysia highest award which carries the title “Tun”.

Tan Sri Dato’ Ahmad Fuzi Haji Abdul Razak
Secretary General, WIEF

Tan Sri Dato’ Ahmad Fuzi Haji Abdul Razak is the Secretary-General of the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation and Group Chairman of ACE Holdings Berhad. He is Chairman of Seremban Engineering Berhad, ACE Investment Bank Limited, Theatre Management Associates Sdn Bhd, IMAN Research Consulting Sdn Bhd and TAERG International Sdn Bhd. He sits on the Board of Governors of Meritus University and on the Board of Puncak Niaga Holding Bhd, MDIS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, CGM Alstar Solutions Sdn Bhd and Lejadi Medimax Sdn Bhd.

Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi joined the Malaysian Diplomatic and Administrative Service in 1972 and has served in various capacities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 2009. He was at the Malaysian Missions abroad in Moscow, the Hague, Canberra, Washington and Dhaka. He was the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia and led the Malaysian senior official delegation in negotiations at various bilateral, regional and international conferences as well as organising various summits including the NAM and OIC summits in 2003 in Kuala Lumpur.

Besides serving as Director General of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Malaysia, he was also the Deputy Secretary General 1, Ambassador-at-Large and Malaysia’s Representative to the ASEAN High Level Task Force on the Drafting of the ASEAN Charter and Malaysia’s Representative to the High-Level Panel on the Drafting of the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN Human Rights Body.

Tan Sri Fuzi is a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies and Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations. He is also the Deputy Chairman of the Malaysian Member Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and on the Board of Trustee for MERCY Malaysia, Perdana Global Peace Foundation, Yayasan Sarana Pendidikan Malaysia and Lejadi Foundation. He is a Patron of Malaysia-China Culture Association and Advisor to theAsia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award, Malaysia-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce, High School Bukit Mertajam Alumni Malaysia and Pixel Play Ventures Sdn Bhd.

Salahuddin Kasem Khan
Executive Chairman
SEACO Foundation
Bangladesh

Salahuddin Kasem Khan is the Chairman of Coats Ltd, a joint venture with Coats U.K., and Director of Bengal Fisheries Ltd, a joint venture with Nichiro & Maruha of Japan. He is also the Vice Chairman of A.K. Khan Penfabric Company Ltd, a joint venture with Penfabric Malaysia which is a subsidiary of Toray, Japan.  Salahuddin is Chairman of CEAT-AKKHAN a joint venture with RPG Group India and Chairman, Executive Committee of the Board of A.K. Khan & Company Ltd.  

He was the Chairman of AKTEL, a joint venture with Telecom Malaysia and Founder Chairman of the Forum of Consuls of Bangladesh.  Salahuddin was appointed Honorary Consul General of Turkey in Chittagong and currently is the Dean of Turkish Consuls General.  

Salahuddin is the Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the National Skills Development Council, member of NSDC headed by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Founder Director of the Chittagong Stock Exchange, Member of the National Council for Industrial Development, Member of the International Advisory Panel of the WIEF Foundation and Executive Chairman of SEACO Foundation in Dhaka.  

He was the Chairman of the First Bangladesh-Malaysia Business Forum, President of Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce & Industry Dhaka, President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation, President of Japan Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chairman of UCEP – Bangladesh and Chairman of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.  

Salahuddin is a Member of the Academic Council of the Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE) and Member, Board of Trustees of Asian University of Women in Chittagong.  

Zurich Takaful Malaysia Berhad (ZTMB) is one of Malaysia’s leading family takaful operators. It is a member of Zurich Insurance Group and the sole provider of shariah-compliant family takaful products within Zurich. With more than a decade of Takaful market expertise, ZTMB offers protection, medical and health, savings as well as investments solutions to address its customers’ needs at different life stages. Together with its dedicated employees, agency force, distributors and partners, supported by its nationwide branch network, ZTMB is committed to help its customers understand and protect themselves from risks.

For further information about ZTMB, visit www.zurich.com.my

World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) Foundation was established in 2006. It is the organising body of the annual World Islamic Economic Forum. The Forum serves as a focal point where country leaders, captains of industry, emerging entrepreneurs, academics and other stakeholders from the Muslim World and beyond, meet to build bridges through business. The Foundation also undertakes various capacity building programmes under the WIEF initiatives of the Businesswomen Network (WBN), Young Leaders Network (WYN), Education Trust (WET) and Roundtable Series (WRT).

www.wief.org

H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman, M.P. 
Private Sector and Investment Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh 
Bangladesh  

H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman is a Member of Parliament, holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister and currently serving as the Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Bangladesh.

A well-known industrialist and philanthropist, he is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Beximco Group, which is one of the largest business conglomerates in Bangladesh.  In 2018, he participated in the National Election from Dhaka-1 constituency (Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas) and was elected as a Member of Parliament.   

H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman has contributed significantly to the development of Bangladesh’s business community and its economic growth. He is the owner of Bangladesh’s English daily The Independent, as well as the Chairman of its Board of Editors and Bangladesh’s news channel Independent Television. He is a graduate of the University of Karachi.  

Md. Abdul Karim
Senior Adviser,
Building Resources Across Communities (BRAC) 
Bangladesh 

Md. Abdul Karim is a Senior Adviser of BRAC, Chairman of Green Delta Insurance Co. Ltd and Secretary General of the South East Asian Cooperation (SEACO) Foundation.  

He was a Principal Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue and Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation. He worked as Secretary to the Government in the Ministries of Commerce, Fisheries and Livestock, Home Affairs, Communications and Finance.  He also served as the Economic and Commercial Counsellor of Bangladesh Embassy in Belgium, Chairman and Director of several state-owned companies including Padma Oil Company Limited. He was ex-officio Chairperson of several national level Committees of various Ministries while working as Principal Secretary. 

Md. Abdul Karim is involved in numerous organisations including Chittagong University Alumni Association as its President and the Honorary Advisory Board for Developing Country Programme Document of UNDP Bangladesh 2017-2021. He has produced books and articles, and lectured in universities including North South University and National Defence College of Bangladesh.  

He holds master’s degree in Development Administration from the University of Birmingham, UK and a MSc in Chemistry from the University of Chittagong. 

Syed Almas Kabir 
President
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS)
Bangladesh

Syed Almas Kabir, Chief Executive Officer of MetroNet Bangladesh Limited and Managing Director of AyAl Corp, has been associated with the ICT industry for the last 30 years. He is a Director of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI) and Vice Chair of SAARC Chamber’s Standing Committee on ICT. 

He is also the President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) and has initiated an ecosystem to help promote growth for member companies. 

Syed Almas Kabir is also the Chairman of Humac Lab Limited, a mobile app–based services company with two local & international award-winning products and the Chairman of NewsEllo Limited, a news aggregating service having presence in 36 countries.   

He was the Team Leader of the Bangladesh Delegation to CeBIT 2013, 2014, & 2015 in Hannover, Germany and presented keynote-paper on Outsourcing Opportunities in Bangladesh at IT Investment Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Almas represented the ICT industry in Prime Minister’s delegation to multiple countries promoting investment.   

He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University, India and a Master’s degree from New York University, USA. He was attached to academia as an Associate Professor of Computer Science and as well as in administrative roles for more than 12 years. 

Ambassador (Retd) Mohammed Mohsin
Chairman SEACO Foundation
Former Foreign Secretary and Former Assistant Secretary General of OIC
Bangladesh

Mohammed Mohsin served as Bangladesh Foreign Secretary during the late 1980s and Ambassador to several countries in Europe, Africa and West Asia. He was also Permanent Representative to the EEC (now EU) in Brussels, the OIC and its Specialised Agencies in Jeddah and Specialised UN Agencies in Geneva including UNCTAD and WTO.  He was elected as Assistant Secretary General of the OIC in Jeddah.  Currently, he is a Senior Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of International & Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Governor of the University of Asia Pacific in Dhaka. 

During his tenure at the OIC, the Philippines Government honoured him with their highest Presidential Award in recognition of his outstanding diplomatic achievements. He also received the Presidential Award in Pakistan in 1969 for his outstanding contribution in the fields of economic and commercial development.  

Mohammed Mohsin studied International Relations specialising in international economics and international law at the University of Dhaka as well as London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. 

H.E. M.A. Mannan, M.P.
Minister of Planning
Bangladesh 

H.E. Muhammad Abdul Mannan is a Member of Parliament and was appointed as the Minister of Planning of Bangladesh in January 2019.  He has served the Government of Bangladesh in various positions including Deputy Commissioner of Kishorgonj, Mymensing and Chittagong Districts.   He was Joint Secretary (political) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Director General at the Prime Minister’s Office and Director General of NGO Affairs Bureau. He also served in the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in Geneva as Economic Minister.  

He retired from Government service in 2003 as Chairman of Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) but returned as Member of Parliament on Bangladesh Awami League ticket in 2008. He was elected to the Central Executive Committee of Bangladesh Awami League as a member in 2010 and 2013. He again returned as Member of Parliament in 2014 and was appointed as the State Minister of Finance.  In April of the same year, he was given concurrent responsibility as State Minister of Planning.  

He is a graduate of Dhaka University. 

Muhammad Alkama Siddiqui
CEO
PPP Authority Prime Minister’s Office
Bangladesh

Muhammad Alkama Siddiqui is the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Authority in the Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Bangladesh.  Prior to this appointment, he was the Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary of the Economic Relation Division of Ministry of Finance.  He served as the Wing Chief of different Wings at Economic Relation Division of Ministry of Finance.  He has expertise in external economic policy of Bangladesh. He was previously a Director at the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Commissioner of Moulovibazar  District. He holds a BSS and a MSS in Sociology from the University of Dhaka. 

Dr. Ali Fallahi
Chief Economist (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei)
Islamic Development Bank Regional Hub Indonesia
Indonesia

Dr. Ali Fallahi is the Country Economist for the three members of the Islamic Development Bank in the South East Asia region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. He is based in Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Regional Hub Indonesia, in Jakarta. He was IsDB Country Manager for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives and Indonesia, as well as IsDB Field Representative in Iran.  

Dr. Fallahi was an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in some of the prestigious Iranian universities in the field of international political economy. His previous careers included Senior Expert for Loans at the Organisation for Investment and Technical Assistance (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance) and Senior Researcher of European Studies at the Center for Strategic Research (CSR).  He specialises in economic integration and interdependence, regional studies and economic development, as well as project management.

He obtained a PhD in International Political Economy from the University of Tehran in Iran. 

Enamul Huque
Managing Director and Country Head of Commercial Banking
Standard Chartered Bank
Bangladesh

Enamul Huque is the Managing Director and Country Head of Commercial Banking at Standard Chartered Bank in Bangladesh.   He took over the responsibility of Country Head of Commercial Banking with effect from 01 August, 2019. 

Enamul Huque has been with Standard Chartered Bank since 2001 and brings with him a wealth of industry and network experience. He started his journey in Global Corporates team, successfully managing the largest relationships of the Bank and being a critical enabler for originating bespoke deals during the Telecommunications boom. Since then, he has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Bank’s Local Corporates, Commodity Traders & Agribusiness, and Commercial Banking segments. 

In his last role as Country Head of Global Banking, he was responsible for nurturing a portfolio of Multinational companies, Large Local Corporations, Institutional clients. Throughout the years, Enamul Huque, along with his team, has originated numerous landmark transactions in Debt Capital Markets, Loan Syndications, Project & Export Finance, and Structured Finance.  

Enamul Huque holds an MBA from Mt. Eliza Business School, Australia. He received various oversees accreditations and certifications from Oxford University and INSEAD.  

Syed Nasim Manzur
Managing Director
Apex Footwear Limited and Past President, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI)
Bangladesh

Syed Nasim Manzur is the Chairman of Landmark Footwear Ltd. and Founding Director of Apex Footwear Ltd., Quantum Consumer Solutions Ltd., Blue Ocean Footwear Ltd., Apex Investments Ltd., and Guardian Life Insurance Ltd. He is also a Director of Apex Tannery Ltd., Apex Pharma Ltd., Grey Advertising Bangladesh Ltd., Apex Enterprises Ltd., Pioneer Insurance Co. Ltd., International Publications Ltd., Sunbeams School Limited and Advisor of the Leathergoods and Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB).  

He is an avid art enthusiast and takes keen interest in promoting art and culture through the Society for Promotion of Bangladesh Art (SPBA). He is also a Director of an internationally acclaimed Non-Government Organization called FRIENDSHIP which provides health and educational service in remote and inaccessible chars of the Northern region of Bangladesh through self-propelled floating hospitals and riverine ambulances, etc. He is the Past President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He is also a regular guest speaker at the National Defence College (NDC), Mirpur, Dhaka.  

Syed Nasim Manzur received an undergraduate degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. 

Abul Hasan Chowdhury
Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs
Bangladesh 

 Abul Hasan Chowdhury was the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001.  He was elected for the first time in the Parliament in 1991 as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League and re-elected in 1996.  He was one of the original signatories of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) sub regional grouping.  His father Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury was the President of Bangladesh after its independence.   

After retiring from politics in 2001, Abul Hassan heads a consultancy firm, KNS Consultants Ltd, which is an associate of Nitol Group.   

Abul Hasan Chowdhury obtained an MA from Oxford University in the UK. 

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Mazid
Adviser
SEACO Foundation and Former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh
Bangladesh

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Mazid is the Adviser of A. K. Khan and Company Limited, which is the largest conglomerate in Bangladesh. He is also an Adviser of the South East Asian Cooperation (SEACO) Foundation. He was former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, former Chairman of the National Board of Revenue, Chairman of Chittagong Stock Exchange, Chairman of South Asian Federation of Exchanges and represented the Stock Exchanges of the South Asian Region in the BCIM-EC initiatives.

Dr. Mazid served as the Trade Counsellor between 1994-2000 at the Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.  He worked with the UN Board of Auditors at the UN Headquarters in New York, was a member of the Aid Harmonization Committee representing the Asia Pacific Group in OECD in Paris and was inducted in the Draft Committee of the Paris Declaration in 2005. He has authored 29 books on socio-economic and cultural diplomacy.   

He holds a BA (Hons) and MA in English Literature from the University of Dhaka and earned his PhD in Social Science (the theme of the thesis: Agro Economy in the Coastal Belt of Bangladesh.) from Victoria University, Delaware, USA.  

Kunrat Wirasubrata
Former Director (Acting)
Islamic Development Bank Southeast Asia Regional Office, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Kunrat Wirasubrata was Director (Acting) of Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB), Southeast Asia Regional Office based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was the Coordinator of Private Sector Development Program at the World Bank’s Resident Mission Indonesia in Jakarta.  In addition to working in Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Kunrat’s portfolio included development project works in East Africa as well as Central and South Asia where he managed IsDB’s projects in various economic sectors.  A CIBAFI certified Islamic banker, he has participated in the promotion of Islamic banking through collaborations among member countries of the Islamic Development Bank. 

Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker
General Manager of Research Department
Bangladesh Bank
Bangladesh 

Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker is the General Manager of Research Department at Bangladesh Bank.  He has also served as Director General of Dhaka regional office of IIBI in London and as Principal of Al-Baraka Bank Training Institute in Dhaka. He was instrumental in developing Bangladesh Government Islamic Investment Bond (BGIIB) in 2004 and Guidelines for Islamic Banking in 2009.  

Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker has lectured various economics and finance courses at different private universities in Bangladesh including Dhaka University as its adjunct faculty.  He has published around 35 research papers in reputable international and local journals. His current areas of interest include Islamic finance and banking, regulation and supervision of Islamic banks, sukuk, Islamic money and monetary policy instruments, banking and credit markets. 

Md. Abdul Awwal Sarker was attached with IRTI and AAOIFI as Visiting Research Scholar in 2015 and 2018 respectively.  He was also the General Manager (Research) and Faculty Member of the Bangladesh Bank Training Academy.  

He holds a honors degree and a master’s degree in Economics from Rajshahi University in Bangladesh, an MSc in International Banking and Finance from Loughborough University in the UK and a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance in the UK. 

A.K.M Nurul Fazal Bulbul
Vice Chairman, Islamic Banks Consultative Forum
Bangladesh 

A.K.M. Nurul Fazal Bulbul is the Vice Chairman of Islamic Banks Consultative Forum and also the Director of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL).  He is the Co-founder of EXIM Bank Ltd, Sunlife Insurance Co, Japan-Bangladesh Medical Associates and Ei Floor Group. Nurul Fazal is also the Vice Chairman of Central Depository Bangladesh Ltd as well as Director of Infrastructure Investment Facilitations Company and BCI Board. He is the Advisor of Japan-Bangladesh Hospital, Sunlife Insurance Co, AML Group and Doreen Power Generation Co. 

He is a Trustee of University of Bangladesh, Secretary of the Research and Training Committee under Bangladesh Association of Banks and elected Secretary General of Gulshan Central Eidgah Society.  

Nurul Fazal Bulbul was Director of FBCCI, SAARC Chamber, OIC Business Forum, Central Zakat Board and FBCCI Foundation. He was also Group Management Consultant / Advisor of Akij Group, Navana Group, Padma-Sonali Group and Swedish Motors. 

Nurul Fazal was an Editorial Chief of a national daily in Bangladesh and has been a moderator as well as speaker of many national seminars and workshops. He was an elected member of the Central Secretariat of Bangladesh Awami League Central Committee for two terms from 1992 to 2002.  

He obtained his Bachelor of Commerce and master’s degree in business management from the University of Dhaka. He has an LLB and is enrolled in the Supreme Court Bar. 

Dr. Nur Rahman
Group Chief Executive Officer
Ghanim International Corporation Sdn. Bhd. 
Brunei Darussalam 

Dr. Nur Rahman is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Ghanim International Corporation Sdn. Bhd., a Brunei Government owned company.  Other business entities of Ghanim Group include Ghanim International UK Limited and Brunei Halal Foods ME in UAE.   

Prior to joining Ghanim International Corporation, Dr. Nur worked in senior executive positions at several large Australian organisations including Woolworths Limited, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Goodman Fielder, Copperpot Dips, Cargill Foods and Tamworth City Council.   At the start of his career, Dr. Nur also worked in the Department of Livestock Services of Bangladesh for a few years. 

Dr. Nur Rahman has a wide experience across a range of industries including FMCG, retail and manufacturing in various areas including management, business development, sales, export, import, training and best-practice process improvements. 

He holds a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, a MSc in Veterinary Science from Bangladesh Agricultural University.  He also holds a MASc in Food Microbiology, as well as a Master of Business and Technology from the University of New South Wales in Australia. 

H.E. Tipu Munshi, M.P.
Hon’ble Minister
Ministry of Commerce
Bangladesh 

H.E. Tipu Munshi is a Member of Parliament, Minister of Commerce and a veteran freedom fighter.   As a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League, he was elected Member of Parliament Rangpur-4 constituency in 2008 as well as 2014. He was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of  

Jute and Textile. He was also a member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance.  H.E. Tipu Munshi was elected Secretary of Planning and Finance of Bangladesh Awami League central executive committee in 2017.   He was elected Member of Parliament for the same constituency in 2014 and took the oath as Minister of Commerce in January 2019.  

H.E. Tipu Munshi, an active politician for the last 52 years, is also an established businessman.  He served as Chairman of BGMEA from 2005 to 2006. Currently, he is serving as Chairman of the Joint Forum of the Garment’s Owners.  H.E. Tipu Munshi was the elected Chairman of Gulshan Thana Awami League in 1992 and has served there for 22 years.   He was also the Vice President of Rangpur District Awami League. He is involved in different social and cultural activities and has established many philanthropic organisations.  He graduated from the University of Dhaka. 

Syed Waseque Md Ali
Managing Director
First Security Islami Bank Limited
Bangladesh 

Syed Waseque Md Ali is the Managing Director of First Security Islami Bank Ltd in Bangladesh. He joined First Security Islami Bank Limited as Senior Executive Vice President in 2008, was promoted to Deputy Managing Director three years later and came into his current position in 2015.  An experienced banker, he started his banking career with IFIC Bank Ltd in 1983 and held several managerial positions in different banks in Bangladesh.  

Syed Waseque has participated in many multi-faceted professional and international seminars, workshops and symposiums on banking and finance locally as well as internationally. He was President of the Rotary Club of Dhaka North and presently serving as a Convener of Gulshan Society Zone-6 in Dhaka.  H is also a life member of Gulshan Society, Gulshan Youth Club, Gulshan Health Club in Dhaka.  He is associated with a number of institutions and communities in the country.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Winai Dahlan
Founding Director
Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University
Thailand

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Winai Dahlan is the Founding Director of Halal Science Center at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He is also Head of The Lipid and Fat Science Research as well as International Graduate Program Chair in Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at the University.  Dr. Winai is the Chairman of the Halal Standard Institute of Thailand and Vice President of the Central Islamic Council of Thailand. Currently, Dr. Winai is an Associate Professor of Chulalongkorn University. He has produced about 30 books, 40 original research articles, 50 reviewed scientific articles as well as written over 3,000 documentary articles on nutrition, science and technology, published locally and internationally.  

Dr. Winai has been listed as one of “The 500 Most Influential Muslims” for nine consecutive years as compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. He is the only Thai–Muslim scientist ranked in The World’s 16 Most Influential Muslim Scientists in science and technology.  He has been honoured with numerous awards including the World Halal Day Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 in London by the United World Halal Development.  

He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Chulalongkorn University, a MSc in Nutrition from Mahidol University in Bangkok and a PhD in Applied Medical Biology from Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium. 

H.E. Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau
Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and State Minister of Trade and Industry, Sabah
Malaysia

H.E. Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau is the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah and concurrently the State Minister of Trade and Industry of Sabah, Malaysia. He has more than 18 years of experience being in the Malaysian political arena. An influential figure in Sabah, he is also the Member of Parliament for the District of Tuaran. 

He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Indigenous Economic Progress (INDEP) Sabah, a think-tank established by a local political party to engage community groups and involve them in policy-making and decision–making process.  He was the Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation from 2015 until 2018.  H.E. Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau is very passionate about promoting growth in the new economy as well as the impact and opportunities arising out of the fourth industrial revolution.  

H.E. Md. Shahriar Alam, M.P.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs
Bangladesh  

H.E. Md. Shahriar Alam is a Member of Parliament and State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. He has been an active member of the Bangladesh Awami League since 1997.  He was elected as a member of the National Parliament for the first time in 2008 and he was elected a member of the National Parliament election in 2014 and 2018.  He was also the State Minister for Foreign Affairs during the last tenure of Awami League Government.  

H.E. Md. Shahriar Alam played an important role in solving the problems of expatriate Bangladeshi Nationals and endeavoured to expand new horizon of mutual co-operation among different countries. Under his leadership, Bangladesh participated in International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) meeting under Human Rights Commission of UN and joined the third Universal Periodic Review which contributed to develop the human rights condition in Bangladesh.  

H.E. Md Shahriar received his bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Dhaka City College and an MBA from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. He completed CAPSTONE course in the first batch at NDC, Mirpur Cantonment in Dhaka. 

The Honorable Pengiran Dr. Hj. Mohd Yakub Pengiran Hj. Othman
Advisor, Brunei-China One Belt One Road Association
Brunei Darussalam

The Hon’ble Pg. Dr. Hj. Mohd Yakub served the Brunei Government for 32 years holding various posts starting as Economics Lecturer and retiring as the Director General at the Ministry of Communication. He served various prestigious positions, nationally as Member, Brunei Darussalam-EEC Joint Investment Committee; Member, National Energy Committee; Member, Advisory Committee, Department of Management and Public Policy, University of Brunei Darussalam; and Member, Logistics Committee, APEC Summit, while internationally as Member, Board of Directors of TECNONET Asia; Member, Board of Directors of ASEAN Potash Mining Co. Ltd; Chairman, Conference of Commonwealth Postal Administrations; Chairman, BIMP-EAGA Working Group on ICT. His brief experience of Bangladesh was as the Chief Negotiator in the Air Services Agreement between Brunei Darussalam and Bangladesh to start up flights between the two cities of Bandar Seri Begawan and Dhaka. Now he is active in the private sector holding positions as Shareholder and Director of various businesses spanning from estate development to International School. His recent appointment is as Advisor of Brunei-China One Belt One Road Association which aims to enhance the business environment and private sector link-up between the two countries.

Pg. Dr. Hj. Mohd Yakub is a graduate of Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and an elected member of Student Government Body. He received PhD in Economics from University of Brunei Darussalam and had published a book entitled ‘Brunei Darussalam- Challenges for Economic Diversification’

Dr. Ali Fallahi
Chief Economist (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei)
Islamic Development Bank Regional Hub Indonesia
Indonesia

Dr. Ali Fallahi is the Country Economist for the three members of the Islamic Development Bank in the South East Asia region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. He is based in Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Regional Hub Indonesia, in Jakarta. He was IsDB Country Manager for Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives and Indonesia, as well as IsDB Field Representative in Iran.  

Dr. Fallahi was an Assistant Professor and Lecturer in some of the prestigious Iranian universities in the field of international political economy. His previous careers included Senior Expert for Loans at the Organisation for Investment and Technical Assistance (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance) and Senior Researcher of European Studies at the Center for Strategic Research (CSR).  He specialises in economic integration and interdependence, regional studies and economic development, as well as project management. He obtained a PhD in International Political Economy from the University of Tehran in Iran. 

Syed Waseque Md Ali
Managing Director
First Security Islami Bank Limited
Bangladesh 

Syed Waseque Md Ali is the Managing Director of First Security Islami Bank Ltd in Bangladesh. He joined First Security Islami Bank Limited as Senior Executive Vice President in 2008, was promoted to Deputy Managing Director three years later and came into his current position in 2015.  An experienced banker, he started his banking career with IFIC Bank Ltd in 1983 and held several managerial positions in different banks in Bangladesh.  

Syed Waseque has participated in many multi-faceted professional and international seminars, workshops and symposiums on banking and finance locally as well as internationally. He was President of the Rotary Club of Dhaka North and presently serving as a Convener of Gulshan Society Zone-6 in Dhaka.  He is also a life member of Gulshan Society, Gulshan Youth Club, Gulshan Health Club in Dhaka.  He is associated with a number of institutions and communities in the country. 

H.E. Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari
Secretary GeneralDeveloping Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation
Turkey

H.E. Dato’ Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari is the Secretary-General of the Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation.  During his diplomatic career in the Foreign Service of Malaysia, he worked in bilateral, multilateral and academic wings as well as served as Special Envoy of Malaysian Prime Minister to Qatar, and Ambassador to Brunei and Egypt. He was Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of Malaysia in Zagreb, Croatia, as well as in Amman, Jordan. He overhauled and helped restructure the Organization of Islamic Cooperation during his office as Undersecretary (OIC). He also developed and guided the professional aptitude programme of the Malaysian Diplomats while at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations. 

H.E. Dato’ Ku Jaafar received two honorific titles of Ahli Mahkota Kedah (AMK) and Dato’ Setia DiRaja Kedah (DSDK) conferred upon him in 2001 and 2006, respectively.  

He holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, a Diploma in Public Administration from National Institute of Public Administration of Malaysia (INTAN) in Kuala Lumpur, a Diploma in Basic Diplomacy from Institute of Development of Germany in Berlin and a Diploma in Quranic Study from the University of Jordan in Amman. 

H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman, M.P. 
Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Bangladesh 
Bangladesh  

 H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman is a Member of Parliament, holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister and currently serving as the Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Bangladesh.    

 A well-known industrialist and philanthropist, he is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Beximco Group, which is one of the largest business conglomerates in Bangladesh.  In 2018, he participated in the National Election from Dhaka-1 constituency (Dohar and Nawabganj upazilas) and was elected as a Member of Parliament.   

 H.E. Salman Fazlur Rahman has contributed significantly to the development of Bangladesh’s business community and its economic growth. He is the owner of Bangladesh’s English daily The Independent, as well as the Chairman of its Board of Editors and Bangladesh’s news channel Independent Television. He is a graduate of the University of Karachi.  

Sheikh Fazle Fahim
President
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Bangladesh 

Sheikh Fazle Fahim is the President of the Federations of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.  Prior to this, he was elected and served the Federation in various capacities.  He also represented Bangladesh at Confederation of Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industries, D-8 Chamber of Commerce and Industries, South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation Chamber of Commerce and Industries. 

As an entrepreneur, he is the Managing Director of Obsidian Bangladesh Ltd and Chairman of Euro Petro Product Ltd.  He is a board member of multiple domestic and international institutions, has received prestigious domestic and international awards including the Certificate of Merit from World Customs Organization and has contributed towards regional, bilateral and multilateral initiatives. 

Sheikh Fazle has received prestigious domestic and international awards including the International Construction Business Award from the Global Trade Leaders’ Club and led business delegations as part of the numerous state visits by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.     

He holds a Masters of Liberal Arts in Political Economy from St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, and as part of the graduate programme, he attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.